כי יהיה בך אביון... לא תאמץ את לבבך ולא תקפוץ... כי פתוח תפתח את ידך לו... פתח תפתח את ידך לאחיך ועניך ולאבינך בארץ
The Gaon, zl, m’Vilna, posits that this pasuk is intimating the proper guidelines one must maintain with regard to giving tzedakah, charity. There is a marked difference between an open hand and one in which he bends over his fingers, thereby partially closing his hand. When the hand is open and the fingers spread out/apart, the difference in physical size between each finger is apparent. When the hand is bent, however, all of the fingers are even; they all look the same. Chazal teach that the mitzvah of tzedakah demands that a person must be reinstated to his original standing….
